


A Photograph of A Scamander

by Eilwen



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Brothers, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Married Couple, Slice of Life, kind of, there's a little plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-15 17:11:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9247397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eilwen/pseuds/Eilwen
Summary: Tina's photographs decorate her and Newt's new flat. As she gets used to living in England, Tina finds that the Scamander reputation is an odd one. It does not help when Theseus invites himself over for supper one evening.





	1. Swiss Emmental and a French Baguette

**Author's Note:**

> I guess I enjoy distractions. I wanted to write something fun and a little different.

There is a Muggle photograph pinned above Newt and Tina Scamander’s bed in their rented flat in Hammersmith, London. The photograph shows the space of a small living room, with empty shelves along one wall. In focus is a gangly-looking fellow, Newt Scamander, with hair in his eyes, his head tilted to the side and his hands awkwardly by his side. The real Newt would comment on the strangeness of a still image of himself. Tina would comment on how magical he looks regardless of whether he moves or not, for when one looks closely, one could see that the black and white Newt is looking straight into the camera with all the love in his eyes.

...

* * *

...

Tina did not wake up in the mornings the same way in England as she did in New York City. She used to rely on her bedside alarm clock. Between her and Queenie, Tina was the earlier riser, not because she naturally was, but because she was always the one to push both of them to get up, get ready and go to work. In England, Newt was the early bird. He usually was up around dawn without any assistance of an alarm and he would be found feeding his creatures in less than an hour after. Sometimes they would linger in bed together, but obligations usually called for either one of them eventually. 

On this morning, Tina awoke earlier than Newt. The light still hadn’t broken through the horizon, so she laid in bed, listening to the early morning drizzle, and watched the outline of a sleeping Newt beside her – his chest rising up and down and the shadows of raindrops playing on the wall behind him.

It was only a little under two months since their wedding and despite borderline living with him for sporadic periods of time (if you count their expeditions together or his visits to New York City), it still felt unreal to have him now as an eternal fixture beside her every morning. Even more unreal were her new surroundings – no longer did she wake up to the feminine decor of her old New York apartment, to her twin bed that creaked when she moved on it or to the witch magazines sprawled on her stomach from reading right before sleeping. Now, she woke up to her London flat - simple, mostly unfurnished to ensure that neither she nor her husband would get too attached to the place and her bed was new and big enough for two people. The smell of new linen still lingered in the air. Now she was no longer just a young adult working hard to make ends meet. Now she was a married woman.

As dawn arrived, Tina watched Newt’s face come into clearer view. Each freckle appeared and each strand of hair caught the sunlight. His eyes fluttered open, as if on cue, and he looked to Tina.

“Good morning. You’re awake,” he said – his voice still thick with sleep.

“I dreamt something crazy.” 

Tina told him of the changing seasons in her sleep, the journeys and the seasickness she always used to get. She had dreamt of Moroccan sand dunes, dissolving into Amazon rainforests and then the sunlight hitting the vertical rock formations of Yosemite Valley. He listened with an attentive ear. She wanted to remain in bed with him – the real world was still too cold and their bed sheets provided the right amount of warmth but as the sun continued to rise, they both did too.

Responsibility called.

They dressed, ate together, kissed each other good-bye and separated. Tina stepped out onto the streets, her boots already landing in slush. She gripped her coat tightly to secure herself against the cold and began to walk.

Upon Tina’s move to England, the second thought she had, after she and Newt must find a comfortable flat, was to reapply to become and Auror – this time as a British Auror instead of an American. An Auror application was filled out quickly, complete with references and recommendations, and sent the day after she arrived to London. Her exam scores from Ilvermorny were already rather high, and with more than five, nearing ten, years of experience and her connections to the MACUSA, her acceptance was a no-brainer.

Within a month, Tina and Newt found their charming flat for rent in Hammersmith and soon she quickly had an pleasant routine of going the Ministry of Magic via the Underground then the floo network. While Tina was used to apparating wherever she might want to, she enjoyed the journey through the unfamiliar city, taking new routes if time allowed. Admittedly, Tina quietly preferred MACUSA’s headquarters. MACUSA’s open space and tall windows were beautiful in comparison to the Ministry of Magic’s underground structure. Whatever false windows were present seemed to reveal a constant rain – as if depicting the ultimate stereotype of London. Still, she had only been working at the Ministry for three weeks – it was unfair to toss a judgement so easily after being at MACUSA for so many years. 

Newt’s job during this time was much more homebound. He technically still worked for the Ministry under the Beasts Division, but according to him, there had been an incident some time before his travels where he had brought an unwanted creature to the offices (it did not go down very well). He divided his time between revising  _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , and working on whatever request the Ministry asked of him. Occasionally he would take a train to a different county for a day or two, or he might pop into the Ministry to discuss a matter with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but mostly he remained in their flat, experimenting with different venoms for healing purposes or simply learning more about whatever additional creature he had added into his animal area that week. 

Newt modified their back garden into a safari park, not unlike his case during his travelling. The size of the garden was modest, but with a touch of Newt’s magic, it expanded beyond its limits stretching for miles if one wanted to walk so far. A memorable sight for Tina was the night they moved in. Newt had knelt at the entrance of their back garden with the suitcase wide open on the floor. He gave the case a very light shake and a knock and creatures squeezed out and poured into the garden and into their respective arenas. When each Billywig and Bowtruckle was out, he shut the case and hung it with the rest of his and Tina’s bags and luggage on prolonged holiday. Newt and Tina’s adventures were not over, but they both required some time to recuperate from whirlwind travels and to get used to being an actual married couple with actual bills to pay... at least until the next summer, they promised each other.

The Great Depression had brought both the U.S. and the U.K. into a troubled state. Wizards seemed to fare separate from No-Majs and Muggles, but times were still rather difficult, so every week before work, Tina went to Gringotts, changed her Galleons to Dragots, tied a little bag with whatever side money she could save to an owl and sent the owl to Queenie. She made a little less in England than she did in New York, but her hopes were high. With the Depression looming over the Western World, hopes needed to be high and she knew that she and Newt’s earnings total were more together in England than in New York City. There were very few creatures in New York City, with stricter laws, so Newt was limited in what he could do unless they attempted a long distance marriage (which neither of them were interested in).

It was at the steps of Gringotts that morning when someone tall, fashionable and Newt-like slipped by the corner of Tina’s eye. She turned to see Theseus, Newt’s older brother wandering through the streets of Diagon Alley with some books in his arms. Tina’s immediate reaction was to avoid being seen. So, praising her ordinary brown hair, she fell into the crowds and began to go a determined and purposeful walk away from Gringotts. Tina didn’t want anyone familiar to see her deal with money (it’s a personal affair) and more importantly, Tina wasn’t exactly what her opinion of Theseus was.

She will say that Theseus wasn’t in any way a  _bad_  person nor was he a  _bad_  brother. He was a very likeable man but Newt seemed to always go quiet around Theseus. That was abnormal, even for introverted Newt. It was what bothered her: without doing much, Theseus seemed to have an odd power over her husband that she had never seen. She had poked Newt for a bit of information, but Newt remained defensive for his brother and did not want to talk much about it. 

Unfortunately, fate forced her and Theseus together, and as Tina was tiptoeing towards Ollivanders, she heard her name called with a deep charming voice.

“Tina! What ho!”

“Hello Theseus,” Tina waved before she signalled that she had to keep going.

The initial resemblance between the two brothers was tremendous but there were particular differences. Theseus possessed a very obvious charisma that Newt did not. He was more conventionally handsome, his eyes much brighter, his posture straighter and his shoulders a little broader. He made eye contact when he talked and his voice was deeper though he spoke with the occasional peppering of pre-World War I slang, which sometimes confused Tina. Theseus was also an Auror – a very powerful and respected one, and he worked at the Ministry as well. Unlike her, Theseus was not around the offices too often. He was frequently working ‘in the field’ and she secretly envied him for it – but who is she to protest against a famous war hero?

“Funny business running into you here.” 

“Just doing some errands.” Tina said, pocketing the small bag of Dragots discreetly.

“As am I.” He looked up at the wand shop behind her. “Wand shopping?” 

“Uh... no. My current wand is fine.” She instinctively reached into her pocket to see if it was still there. She was very protective of her simple American wand. “Sorry Theseus, I can’t talk long – I’m on my way to work.” She began walking again but Theseus followed, continuing the conversation.

“You might think so, but one can surely bet that Ollivanders makes the very best of wands. You can ask your husband. I remember very clearly the day I got my first wand here. Newt must have told you that story of how he got his. It’s always etched in every wizard’s memory – his or her first wand. How is my little brother doing these days?”

“He’s doing well – he’s researching on possible gnome repellents that won’t be harmful to humans or the creatures.”

“Ah...” Theseus said, his fingers scratching his jaw. “That doesn’t sound too fantastic, does it?”

“Some researches are necessary.”

“Well if he has you to keep him busy, I’m sure he’s having a marvellous time back in England.” Tina was not sure if Theseus had made a jab at her wifely duties. “Have you two moved into a new flat? I had sent a list of possible places to stay. All very close to good shopping.”

“Thank you – we saw the list but we picked an apartment in Hammersmith.”

Theseus frowned. “Not exactly Central London. At least you two are not living in Twickenham.”

“It’s not too far. I could still take the Underground.”

“Of course, of course. Tell you what, Tina-dear, how about I pop over tonight?” 

“What? For dinner?” Tina blurted before she could stop herself.

“No, no. Nothing heavy. Maybe a light supper. No actually, never mind that. You don’t have to prepare anything. It would be enough for me to see you and Newt in your new home. I’ll be over at around seven o’clock. I just want to make sure Newt is happy where he is.”

 _Make sure Newt is happy?_  Tina took offence. “Newt’s doing very well, Theseus. And tonight won’t be -”

“I don’t mean to cut this short but I must be off. Yes, seven o’clock then? Lots of errands to run, what!” And Theseus dissolved into the crowds.

The twist, from her trying to get away from him to him getting away from her, frustrated her. She brushed it off and made her way to work – one sudden meeting wasn’t going to spoil her day, though she knew she had to let Newt know of his brother’s potential visit.

* * *

_A British Wizard attacked in the Adirondack Mountains... possible tracking of previous MACUSA headquarters when it was located in the Appalachians...? Why was a British Wizard in the Adirondacks anyway...?_  Tina sifted through the files to find any new information that might help her. Her experience with Newt had expanded beyond New York City some time during their courtship and into their engagement, which led to her visiting much of the United States, including the West Coast, and other countries but there is only so much one can see in the few years she had travelled. Tina hoped that the British Ministry wouldn’t view her as their encyclopaedia of American landscapes and cultures.

Her desk was usually kept neat at MACUSA but with the recent rise of attacks, scandals and controversies, more and more files kept piling up on her new desk. It didn’t help that here she was the Resident American – so anything connected related to the U.S. somehow made its way to her desk for review. It was starting to be hard to keep up, but she powered through.

“Porpentina... more reports for you,” Angelica Travers, a pretty woman, approached her desk with several envelopes and files to add to Tina’s growing paper hill. Travers had worked at the ministry for years but her nose was usually in a juicy romance novel, which meant that she never got promoted since she was hired. She sort of had a wispy air to her that initially reminded Tina of Queenie, but unlike Queenie who was kind at heart and remarkably intelligent, Travers consistently complained about everything, from work, to home, to her appearance (complete with a sour face) and enjoyed office gossip a little too much for Tina’s liking, especially since Travers took a nasty approach to it.

“Scamander?” She touched the name plaque on Tina’s desk.

“Yes?” Tina responded, half looking up at Travers out of politeness as she flipped through the new files, hoping that one of them had Adirondacks written somewhere on it.

“I didn’t know the Scamanders had any young female relatives. Unless you married into the family?” 

“I did." 

“Oh... Oh! That’s marvellous that Theseus found a wife. And an American one too! So exciting! You’re very lucky!”

Tina immediately felt her cheeks flush with annoyance, but she responded very politely: “I didn’t marry Theseus.”

“What? Then....” The realization dawned on her and her face morphed into one of confusion. “Newton?”

“That’s the man.” She said with finality. Tina did  _not_  want to be here. She buried herself back into her papers hoping that the woman in front of her would get the hint and leave. It seemed like today was a day to be approached by unwanted people.

“Oh, well. I’m glad Newton married. He’s very lucky to have you Porpentina.”

“You can call me Tina.... How is he lucky?”

“Excuse me?" 

“If I was married to Theseus, you said I’m the lucky one. But I’m married to Newt. How is Newt the lucky one now?” Tina said, slowly standing to confront Travers. Tina kept her voice low and level but the act of standing was already enough to alert others in the room.

Travers however brushed everything aside. 

“Don’t think too much of it.”

“No, I insist. Is there something I’m not aware of about either brother?”

“No, no. The Scamanders are a fine family in general. Please say hi to their mother for me.” She dropped the remaining folders onto the desk and scuttled away with a flick of her skirt and a whistle.

All office eyes remained on Tina. She sat back down, mildly embarrassed at their sideshow and returned to her work. 

_British Wizard in the Adirondacks...._

This was not the only time that day that her last name was questioned. As she jogged to a ten o’clock meeting, she ran into Maurice Singer – a nosy man who worked in the Improper Use of Magic Office.

“Angelica informed me that you’re Newton Scamander’s new bride,” he said as he handed her the papers that had fallen to the floor.

The statement caught her by surprise and she was unsure what to say. “I am.”

“Well, you seem like a decent lass. I assume you’re the type to really put him in place.”

“Put him in his place?” Tina was going to be horribly late for this meeting.

“He was always letting random beasts into the building. I know he works in the Beast Division but you know, his duties were supposed to be mostly paperwork. The other employees weren’t that happy whenever he brought in a specimen.”

“Oh.”

“But it’s been years – I’m sure his reputation now is all anew.”

It wasn’t.

Below is a series of remarks regarding Newt that Tina had come across that day. 

_“Newt Scamander, eh? Annoying little fellow. Never pays attention to half of the authorities’ commands. Always was off doing his own thing.”_

_“He's a good employee. I know he's hard working. Mala in the Office of House-Elf Relocation really liked him, but I heard he had this habit of daydreaming.”_

_“Doesn’t talk much. Unless you mention hippogriffs or something. Then the blighter talks too much.”_

_“Yeah, I heard he did pretty well in New York with the whole Grindelwald thing. Is that where you two met? We wouldn’t have guessed he’d get involved with the whole Grindelwald business.”_

_“I heard he nearly set fire to Somerset House after a lover jilted him. We’re talking about Salamander, right? No? Scamander? You mean Theseus? Theseus is amazing.”_

_“I would never employ him ever again in my life... But by Jove, the man knows his dragons. Maybe I would hire him... for private purposes. I’m thinking of starting a dragon-breeding program... hey! Where are you going?!”_

Many of the complaints were simply lies, but those that had some taste of truth of them had bothered Tina. There were times she came to his defence, but she knew that her new occupation required some tact. Newt was an extraordinarily misunderstood character whose first impression might not be favourable. It certainly was not for her the first time she met him, though it wasn’t personal. Still, he did not deserve the instantaneous reaction whenever anyone heard his name. Their faces had twisted as if there were unsavoury flavours in their mouths. 

She was also Newt’s wife. One would think to hold his or her tongue when meeting Newt Scamander’s spouse, but somehow people viewed her as an open ear to their opinions. Tina had a kind face, but the barrage of comments in her direction was definitely unwelcome.

The comments were also fresh. This was not her first week at the Ministry, but Angelica Travers somehow must have started a fire. At some point, Tina lowered her name plaque so no one would spot her if they were to crane their heads around. After some time, she felt silly and placed it back in its original position. She was married to Newt Scamander! And if anyone was to stick his or her noses in her direction, she’ll take every comment!

By lunch, Tina was in no mood to socialise with her fellow Aurors. The Adirondack case was stuck on her brain, so, she said “Sorry, not today,” to the woman whose desk was next to hers, slipped out and disapparated to return to Hammersmith.

* * *

Newt and Tina’s flat was a small one bedroom on the second story of a two-storied house. Their landlady was an older Muggle woman who owned a sandwich shop, adjacent her own flat on the first story. The back garden was initially a complete mess – overrun by weeds and strange unhealthy muddy puddles, but Newt had asked for it to be theirs with a few extra coins added to the fortnightly rent. The back garden was accessible through two ways: the landlady’s back door, which opened to reveal a neat normal garden that Newt occasionally magicked to maintain the appearance of upkeep and through the fire escape of their living room on the second story, which was obviously the correct path to what the back garden truly had become.

If the landlady had examined the garden a little too closely one day, they would be done for. She would hit a wall if she were to walk only two feet out of her door. Thankfully she had a strong allergic reaction to flowers and much preferred to stay inside than outdoors. The landlady had joked that gardening was more Newt’s thing, and Newt kept the joke going.

During their first week’s stay, Tina used a photographic camera and took black and white photographs of the flat to mail to Queenie. Tina secretly loved No-Maj moving pictures and photographs, though in New York there were limitations with what fun she could have. She could spend money on movies but making No-Maj photographs? The ones where the subjects don’t move? That was a little questionable and frankly rather strange, especially for Tina who maintained little to no hobbies outside of her work. So when they married, she bought a Brownie camera for their honeymoon and when they moved into Hammersmith, she snapped a photograph of each room and sent them all to Queenie when all the film was developed the No-Maj way (no magical developing solution!). She snapped another one for them to keep – a photograph with Newt standing in their living room, his head tilted in curiosity. It was a little disturbing that this miniature two-dimensional version of Newt did not move at all. She pinned it above their bed and other future photographs eventually took home throughout the flat.

Lunchtime rains had begun when Tina entered the building and walked up the stairs. She shook off the raindrops from her coat as she searched her pockets.

“Newt?” Tina called out pulling out her set of house keys.

The shriek that resonated in the hallways was horrifying. Tina felt her heart beat loudly and she scrambled to open the door. It banged open to reveal Newt on the dirt-covered floor of their living room, with an uprooted Mandrake in one hand and a plant pot in the other. His ears were smartly covered with earmuffs. Quickly, Tina conjured a pair onto her own head. 

“Welcome home, Tina. Sorry. Sorry.” Newt shoved the Mandrake back into the pot and threw dirt onto the root.

Tina should have suspected that nothing was really out of the ordinary but one could never be too careful. It was a frequent sight to come home to see Newt struggling with an unhappy and untamed creature in the back garden or a spew of papers, potions and ink in the living room.

“Hi Newt,” she said with an amused smile. “What’s this one, this time?” Tina asked as she hung her coat and took off her boots. 

“I was testing to see if Mandrakes might help make a good repellent for gnomes. Results haven’t been very good.” Newt placed the Mandrake onto their windowsill and dusted his hands. 

Tina stepped around the dirt and headed to their kitchen. She had begun to grow fond of their light blue kitchen with the flowery wallpaper. Between her and Newt, Tina definitely had more knowledge of interior decorating but she was untalented compared to Queenie. Queenie had been the one who had chosen nearly all the furniture in their old New York apartment. Here, she and Newt hadn’t much time to think about colour schemes or matching furniture. So, in their little shared newlywed home, absolutely nothing matched, her photographs a little too weird here and there on the walls – though there was an odd coherence to everything.

Tina missed Queenie immensely right there and then.

She opened the fridge, pulled out a block of cheese and took the fresh loaf of bread from the kitchen’s breakfast table (their only dining table) by the window. She sat at the table and watched out onto the streets below. Hammersmith was a fairly ordinary part of town, which worked for both of them because they had easy access to groceries and they weren’t entirely secluded but it was quiet at night, which mattered more. Muggles passed by left to right and right to left – it was a soothing sight. 

“ _Scourgify_ ,” Newt muttered from the living room and the floor was spotless as normal. He turned to Tina and sat next to her at the table. “I thought you were planning to eat elsewhere for lunch.” 

Tina tore the bread apart and slapped slices of cheese onto the pieces, making a haphazard sandwich. “I just needed to come home for a bit.”

“Are you all right?" 

“Yeah...” She mumbled with her mouth full. “I really miss New York pizzas right now.”

“British food is not that awful. And your judgment is based on Swiss Emmental and a French baguette,” he said pointing at the food in Tina’s hands. 

“Newt... what was it like when you first started to work at the Ministry?”

“I didn’t particularly enjoy it. I was bored for most of my time there and I was not paid very much.”

“Was there a lot of gossip?”

“Yes. But I assume that in any office there’s gossip. Was that not so in MACUSA?”

It was true – MACUSA had its fair share of office romance or domestic drama but the general fear of discovery by No-Majs and the constant monitoring put people on edge most of the time. The air was a little busier and a little more paranoid. Also, she was not married to a Scamander, which made her and Queenie a pair of nobodies on the scale of interesting people. Goldstein was a rather boring last name.

“I guess so. Did you bond very well with your co-workers?”

“No, not really. I’ll make you some coffee.” Newt rose from his seat and busied himself with their stove and kettle.

“Did it ever bother you?”

“No.”

“Hmm...” Tina idly hummed, staring out the window.

“Most people found me rather annoying.” He placed a cup of coffee in front of Tina – black with no sugar or milk, and took his seat once more with a cup of tea in his own hands. “Are you bonding well with your colleagues?”

“I’m bonding fine. I think. I thought I did.” She eyed him with a smirk on her lips. “You have an odd reputation Newt Scamander.”

Newt smiled again. “So your second name is a topic of conversation.”

“It came up today –  _which_  Scamander I married.”

Newt teased, “Do you worry that you married the wrong Scamander?”

“Absolutely not,” Tina laughed. “I think I pick my Scamanders very well.”

She reached over and kissed him lightly. Newt responded positively and was about to rise to hold her before she mumbled against his lips. “Your brother invited himself over tonight.”

Newt pulled back. “Theseus?”

“I bumped into him in Diagon Alley.”

“Ah... he should have been in Germany right now.” 

“Germany?”

“He had told me that he would be investigating a little in Hamburg.”

“Why would Theseus be in London now, then?”

“I suspect it’s to keep an eye on us. He does that. That’s one of the many reasons why I liked travelling. Theseus never knew where I was.”

“I see...." 

“Yes, ever since the incident that led to my expulsion.”

“You don’t mind that he’s coming over, do you?”

“Of course not,” Newt replied though his eyes were not focused on her. Instead he paid attention to the tea in front of him.

Tina usually could tell when Newt was lying but she didn’t want to push him. Instead she took her plate to the sink and manually washed it.

“I’ll be back home earlier tonight,” she said. “We’ll cook something good for him.”

She looked across to Newt, who was still sitting comfortably at the table. She felt a swell of joy in seeing him so relaxed. There was usually an awkward tension in his body language when they had first met but now his body seemed to sway whenever they were in the privacy of their home. He had told her once that she was the same. Tension in her shoulders; relaxed when their relationship became more intimate. All barriers had fallen between them the closer they became. 

Newt nodded and touched a photograph Tina had taken several weeks ago that was pinned to the wall – a blurry photograph of him tickling his Niffler. Only the Niffler’s face and his own were in focus. The Niffler had a neutral expression but Newt had a look of motherly glee.


	2. Fish Stew

Her lunch with Newt made the rest of the day more tolerable. She quickly reviewed more cases that afternoon but her superior, Mr. Buteo, loomed over her in the last hour about Adirondack.

“But we don’t even know exactly where the incident occurred,” Tina said. “The Adirondacks are a group of mountains – it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where he was.”

“Would that make a difference, Scamander? The region itself is all the same, am I right?”

“We don’t have any information, sir. We don’t know his occupation or his background. We just know he’s a male and he’s British.” Her eyes briefly went the clock on her desk, which pointed to ‘Time to Go Home’ before returning to the man in front of her. The offices in the department were already mostly empty.

Buteo fingers went to his temple in exaggerated stress. “His mind has pretty much been obliviated to bits. If you could even get him to remember why he was even there in the first place I’d be surprised, but if the International Confederation is concerned about this particular case we need to have answers fast.”

“The International Confederation of Wizards?” Tina’s brain began to work in overtime. “I thought maybe MACUSA would be the only other worried ones.”

“A British Wizard was randomly attacked on foreign soil. In the middle of nowhere. With trees around. The International Confederation wants to be sure this isn’t something Grindelwald-related. You drop a quill in the wrong country and they ask questions. Trust me, the quicker we get this case figured out, the better we can sleep at night.”

Buteo did not have the calm collected mannerisms that Graves had. She had bonded well with Graves (post-Grindelwald-impersonation) and he had been a fair boss. She thought of Graves and his occasional twitches, expected considering his ordeal, but mostly he carried a confidence that Tina respected. Buteo on the other hand was much more high strung, which had an unwanted contagious effect on Tina. Whenever Buteo was worried about something, Tina would be worried about Buteo’s worries and she would go home agitated and annoyed at her own worries.

She requested an interview with the poor Adirondack-wandering Wizard. They scheduled a possible conversation for the next day and once the meeting between Tina and Buteo was finished, she disapparated.

When she arrived home, Newt was already in the kitchen, apron around his waist, as he flicked his wand about cutting carrots and stirring pots. Tina threw her coat unceremoniously onto a chair and kicked her boots off, half-running into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I ran into a last minute wall with this Adirondack case,” Tina exclaimed as she rolled up her sleeves and pulled out her wand.

Newt only asked, “How far is the Adirondack Mountains from Lake Ontario?”

Tina looked him, confused, her wand poised for cooking but unmoving. “More than a hundred miles, probably.”

“Ah. Never mind then,” he said. “I had heard of this dragon called Gaasyendietha. Prefers to reside in lakes.”

“Gassyen – oh!” Tina recoiled at the overflowing pot of boiling water in front of her.

Together, they moved the breakfast table to the living room to create a separate dining area for Theseus’ visit. Newt pulled an extra chair from his work desk and Tina charmed the napkins into swan shapes. They worked well together – syncing like well-tuned instruments, moving to and fro from kitchen to living room and back.

At six fifty-five, the table was set, the candles were lit and a hot pot of fish stew was brought out and placed on a trivet. It was a simple meal.

At seven exact, there was a knock at the door. Tina looked across to Newt who stood calmly by the table. She realised she must have looked more worried than him as he gave a reassuring smile. She hung her apron and answered the door.

“What ho, Tina,” Theseus greeted, lifting his hat politely. He stood at the threshold in a classy double-breasted wool coat. She noticed he wore a silver ring on his right little finger. Tina should have expected that Theseus had his own small streak of flamboyancy, considering her own husband frequently wore a peacock blue coat in public (easy to spot in a crowd of greys and blacks).

“Hi Theseus. Let me take your hat and coat.” Tina suddenly felt very foolish.

“Little brother,” he said turning to Newt.

“Hello Theseus.”

Theseus’ eyes roamed around the small living room. “Very quaint. Cosy. A little bare. Would it be inappropriate for me to purchase a new settee as a housewarming gift? Velvet maybe? Or a side table. The lacquer stuff is going to go out fashion soon, I’m sure.”

“That wouldn’t be necessary,” Tina piped up as she hung the coat on the rack. “We shouldn’t add any new furniture in case we need to pick up and leave.”

“You mustn’t deprive yourselves of necessities out of modesty.” He observed each photograph on the wall. Tina realised that most of her photographs were of Newt or of observations outside – she was never present in any of them. _Was that odd?_ Tina questioned to herself. “But I can see you two find happiness in other things. These are not normal photographs.”

“They’re Muggle photographs.” Muggle was still a strange word on Tina’s tongue, but she adjusted her lingo to suit.

“You’re stranger than you first appear, Tina,” Theseus said, in an almost flirty tone. He approached the table and pointed to the stew. “You shouldn’t have.”

It was strange – Newt carried a comfortable presence around Theseus (they are brothers after all), but not in a same way she and Queenie behaved around each other. Watching the pair interact was like watching old best friends who already knew each other meeting somehow for the first time. They were skirting around an issue that neither wanted to talk about.

They sat to eat and chatted. Theseus and Newt recalled childhood memories, and as older brothers do, Theseus spent much time teasing Newt with embarrassing stories. Tina didn’t protest – Theseus knew a part of Newt that she was never privileged to witness and it was rather cute to see Newt go red.

“Perhaps you are lucky in that you didn’t know him when he was a younger. Not much of a social child. He kept begging our mother for a pet Grindylow. He had brought home one once. Our friends didn’t think it was very funny. Didn’t it harass ol’ Reggie?”

“He deserved it,” Newt tried to explain.

“Well his mother certainly didn’t think so. We weren’t allowed to talk to each other after that. But Little Reggie spread this rumour in the neighbourhood that Newt had a liking for merpeople and was using this Grindylow to woo a mer-lass.”

Tina laughed aloud at the thought.

Theseus blathered on. “But Newt is more fond of the human type. It came a bit of a shock when I discovered he fancied a girl in our school.”

Newt looked away. Thankfully the subject of Newt’s love life prior to Tina was smartly not continued and Theseus moved on to other more shameful stories.

Occasionally Theseus would comment on Newt’s book, then stick in his one or two suggestions on the matter for future editions. Theseus knew a surprising amount about magical creatures, certainly more than Tina. She felt intimidated by that fact – he was indeed a great man in many ways.

He also reminded Newt to contact their mother to which Newt responded that he had been writing regular letters.

“Her birthday is next week.”

“I had sent her a gift.”

“She worries about you,” Theseus said.

“As is normal,” Newt joked lightly.

“I’m serious, little brother. I understand your interests in your beasts, but with this mad man out on the loose causing chaos around the world, you could imagine that mother might be shaken like an aspen.”

Tina looked briefly at Newt’s bowl. Newt had picked at the provisions but left behind the fish. Newt had mentioned that fish was Theseus’ favourite food, but Newt did not eat too much meat in general.

“My letters have all been reassuring.”

Theseus' head tilted in acquiescence, finding no other comment on the matter and turned to Tina. “This meal is incredible, I must say. Tina you outdid yourself.”

“It’s Newt’s recipe. And he did most of the cooking.” She did come home late after all.

Tina’s praise for Newt was not as well received as she had hoped. Theseus did not respond, but she could see the discomfort written on his face. He politely lowered his spoon and brought both hands up to the table.

Everything slowed – she could see suddenly every gesture, twitch and blink. The hairs on Theseus’ fingers. The clean-cut nails in comparison with her husband’s short dirty ones. The silver ring glimmered for an instant and she saw something small move in the shadows behind him. She looked very briefly to Newt. Newt saw it too.

The Niffler.

The little creature scurried like a large rat and for second, it moved into the light – the candlelight reflecting on its black fur. Its snout twitched in anticipation as it scaled the empty shelves and somehow disappeared once more into the dark areas of the room.

Newt rose very carefully, forgetting that there was a guest in the room.

Theseus turned to see what the matter was before the small furry creature bounded from somewhere unknown onto his right hand.

“Good heavens!” Theseus exclaimed, jumping up from the table.

Newt reached for the Niffler and with a very quick struggle, pulled it away from Theseus’ hand. Tina quickly anticipating disaster grabbed a kitchen towel, threw it onto the pot, lifted it from the table and backed herself to the window behind her.

The Niffler made a small cry in protest and scrambled out of Newt’s hands. It scurried along Newt’s back, down his leg, onto the floor and up to the shelves again. Newt jumped after it, knocking the table – the cutlery and plates rattled and shifted. The candles jiggled and Tina nearly dropped the pot to catch them, lest they fall and set the place on fire. Theseus was quicker, and caught them. Newt once again reached for the Niffler on the highest shelf and wrapped his hand around its stomach. The owner and creature resembled a poor vaudeville act.

He climbed down and pried the silver ring from the creature’s grip. “Come on.” The ring popped away and bounced onto the floor by Tina’s feet.

The Niffler twisted in Newt’s hand as Newt moved to pick up the ring and returned it to his brother. “Awfully sorry. I’ll only be a minute.” He walked to the window facing the back garden and climbed onto the fire escape.

Tina still stood with the pot in her hands, the handles wrapped with the towel. Her heart was beating madly and when the energy of the room dissipated, she placed the pot back onto the trivet. She saw that some of the stew in her plate had spilled onto the white tablecloth, which was actually Newt and Tina’s folded bed sheet.

She let out a breathy laugh, though she could not tell if it was because the situation itself was humorous or if she was just relieved that nothing worse happened. Tina cleared her throat, neatened the items on the table and dabbed the stain with the towel.

Theseus said nothing but he gave a polite and brief smile to Tina before sitting back down, placing the candlesticks back on to the table. Tina sat as well. Theseus’ hands rose and he scratched his jaw in thought. It was a habit she noticed he did even that morning when they bumped into each other. She knew he would have something to say when Newt returned but she had no idea what to do.

The fire escape window opened again and Newt calmly returned to his chair. Tina made a small signal to adjust his bowtie. Newt’s eyes darted to the table as he did.

The three sat at the table without any exchanged words for a quiet moment.

“Newt,” Theseus began. “Do you remember the first thing we learnt about Nifflers?”

“Yes.”

“They can wreck havoc in households.”

“Yes.”

“Yet you have one freely running in your flat.”

“He mostly stays in our back garden.”

Theseus placed his napkin onto the table. “You forget the basic rules of these creatures yet you keep them in your house.”

“I can assure you -”

“This is not a game, little brother. Your flat is at least still standing. Poor Tina had to clean up after you because you were scampering around with that little Niffler.” He took a deep breath. “I support you with your studies and your quests,” he waved his hand flippantly, “But I also ask for some responsibility from you.”

Newt’s breathing was steady. Tina felt the impact for them both and her eyes moved back and forth between the two brothers – her tongue frozen.

“Did you know what I had to do last week?” His voice did not raise, but maintained an even tone, which in some ways was even more frightening than if he were to yell. “I had to run to Germany to chase one of Grindelwald’s followers. They’re gaining power. They’re growing in numbers. They’re becoming more and more radical.”

Tina felt the air suddenly go incredibly cold. Goosebumps raised on her skin. Grindelwald was a topic that was frequently brought up in the Ministry and between her and Newt. Every major decision they made as a couple somehow was connected to Grindelwald: where they would settle, what precautions they made and even if they should have children or not. Still, to the outsider, Newt and Tina might look a little lackadaisical - with Newt’s attention nearly entirely on his creatures and her own little new hobby with Muggle photography. Her photographs felt mocking.

Theseus’ fists curled. “You know what I’m trying to say, Newt.”

“My creatures are not weapons,” Newt said firmly.

“I did not say that your creatures were weapons. But they’re certainly not your bloody house pets.”

“I am not going to train any creature for war.”

“Oh?” Theseus walked to the kitchen and pulled a photograph from the wall and nearly threw it Newt’s face. Tina caught a glimpse – the picture she had taken of Newt and the Niffler, blurry and now with a rip where Theseus had pulled. “You certainly are not convincing me that they’re being put to good use.”

Newt did not respond – he did not even look in Theseus’ direction. His gaze was turned away.

Theseus’ nostrils flared. “We are nearing a war Newt. The wizards have a war. I’m sure the Muggles are expecting one soon. Have you not paying attention to the newspapers? Or have you been in your flat? Cooking, while your wife is at work.”

Tina felt her blood boil at the comment. Her head suddenly became immensely hot in rage.

“Your book is granting you the wrong fame, Little Brother. Think about what position you put your family in. The use of your knowledge. You play mummy in that case of yours when others struggle with reality.” There seemed to be more bubbling between the two brothers but Theseus did not choose to push it further.

Instead he stood, replaced the ring on his finger and marched to the door, grabbing his coat and hat. “Excuse me – I must leave. You can sit at home with your creatures or you can fight in a war.” He smoothed the front of his waistcoat and turned to Tina. “Thank you for the meal. I hope you and your family are well, Tina. I am sure we will run into each other at Diagon Alley again.”

The door closed leaving the couple at the table. The candles flickered. Tina looked towards Newt, who remained still. He looked at the door with a sad expression.

“Ah… he left his scarf here,” Newt remarked as he began to clean up.

Indeed, Theseus’ red and gold scarf hung on the coat rack. Tina was stuck in her seat, gauging the outcome of her next move. She knew she shouldn’t lash out. It was what had gotten her into trouble at MACUSA how many years ago. She had caused an unnecessary scene in front of a group of No-Majs. But there she was, internally on fire, trying to stay calm in her own living room. She looked back at Newt, who was waving his wand to start the washing, then to the empty table in front of her. Newt was saying nothing – no remark about their dinner, no comments about the food, no complaints about his brother.

_Damn it all...._

“I’ll take it to him.” Tina grabbed the scarf and ran down the stairs, out onto the streets and chased after the tall man in distance. As she approached, Theseus turned – almost as if he was expecting to see someone, but his brows wrinkled in seeing Tina instead. Tina opened her mouth before she even stopped her run.

“Theseus... Whatever-Your-Middle-Name-Is Scamander, you are incredibly unlucky in that my spells are not monitored in England like they are where I’m from because I could hex you into the last century and no one would even know it!”

Theseus’ face dropped in surprise. “Now, look here -”

“You lecture him about being home. Insult him about cooking. Dictate him on what he should or should not be doing. You don’t know half the efforts of what he’s trying to do and how much he works for this family. Or his creatures. You didn't even _ask_ what he's been doing since he arrived. He’s a Scamander! If you ever try to bully him like that ever again, you’ll be sure I’ll...” She struggled to find a good and proper insult. “I’ll be sure you regret every single word that comes out of your mouth!” Not the best one. “Here’s your scarf!”

She threw the scarf back at him, which weakly did not slap him on the face as she would have liked, but instead fell gracefully into his hands, and she stormed off, feeling both exhilarated and absolutely frightened of what might come next.

Part of her expected Theseus to call her name and maybe apologise, or even fight back, but she marched home without any obstruction to her journey and let her shoulders drop as soon as she re-entered her flat.

It was quiet.

She realised that she had ran out with her house slippers, so she took them off and stepped around barefoot.

The kitchen was empty and clean. The dining table was reset back into its original position. The candles were out and the bed sheet was now clean and draped over a chair – the blotted spot completely gone. The photograph of Newt and the Niffler was re-pinned on the wall, the tear still visible.

Tina heard a slight murmur from somewhere distant and so she walked to the window by the fire escape and poked her head out.

Newt was in the back garden, feeding an Erumpent. Pickett, the Bowtruckle was on his neck, as usual and Dougal, the Demiguise stood by his feet protectively.

Whatever Theseus had said during dinner, whether it was hurtful or not, Newt didn’t look at all bothered by it. Newt was in his element – with the creatures in his invented environment. He glowed in the artificial sunlight. Tina leaned against the window frame, her head resting on her arms as she watched him work.

The dread slowly crept into her head – how much power did Theseus really have in the Ministry of Magic? Would she be fired for insulting someone with such an esteemed status? Or demoted? Would he tell others in the office? Would she be the butt of everyday gossip once more? Would Theseus be even harder on Newt? Did she do the right thing? She replayed her outburst in her mind, wondering if she got too hot-headed, wondering if she had said the right things.

Despite the haunting thought, she felt possessive. No one knew how incredible Newt Scamander was.

He really was absolutely brilliant.

Newt turned to give Tina a wave. She returned it with a smile.

* * *

Newt and Tina travelled to the Ministry together the next day.

When they awoke, Newt suggested that he would come too for he had his own business to deal with at the Beasts Division for only few hours, and he would be returning home separately. This was not the first time they held hands in public but it was the first time Newt had come into the office the same time as Tina, so she felt all the glances in their direction as they entered together, her fingers interlocked with his.

There were the expected whispers here and there, but Tina ignored them as she sat at her desk and immediately began to work. There was already a new stack of files in her inbox. Tina had no problems with that.

Travers came by some time in the morning and dropped another case onto Tina’s desk.

“Scamander.”

“Travers,” Tina responded, bracing herself for any comment to come in her direction.

But apart from a cold look, Travers said nothing and walked off.

The Adirondack wizard was brought into the interview room around after lunch. The wizard introduced himself as Scarborough and he held out a shaky hand. Beyond his name, he could not remember anything – not his last name, not even where he was born. He only knew he was British because people told him so, deducing from his accent.

“Do you like tea, Scarborough? You look cold.” Tina asked – her mind still stuck on the previous night’s events. “I can make you a pot.”

“I do, thank you.”

She waved her wand and conjured a pot of boiling water, her head still in a dreamy state. She resisted making notes in front of him, thinking that if they chatted without the looming expectations of The Ministry above them, he would feel more comfortable. She wondered if Buteo was close by, looking into their conversation.

“I’m so glad you asked me if I wanted tea,” Scarborough said very quietly as he took the cup. The tea sloshed about and onto the saucer. “I haven’t had tea since I was in America. Is it ironic? I’ve been in England for… how many days now and not a cuppa since I arrived.”

 _He remembers having tea_ , Tina noted in her mind. “Do you remember the last time you had tea?”

“Somewhat. I was at… I think a house. No. The lake in front of the house. My tea cooled very quickly because of the breeze.”

A lake.

 _“_ _Gaasyendietha. Prefers to reside in lakes.”_

Tina could not help but laugh out loud.

* * *

The interview with Scarborough had gone much, much longer than planned but Buteo were pleased with the results. Scarborough’s recollections were few but he had dropped in occasional hints here and there of what might have happened. A chain with a pendant. A flash of light. Water rising. Buteo wanted to keep pushing further but as Scarborough curled into a ball, tears forming in his eyes, Tina immediately put an end to the conversation.

Before she left, she wrote a long report detailing nearly every new thing she learnt that day. She also made an international request to MACUSA, asking for any new unusual magical occurrences that may have happened close to any lakes in the New York State, hoping that something would connect to Scarborough’s incident.

“This is excellent, Scamander,” he had said. “Amazing what a pot of tea can do.”

But she knew it was not tea. It was simply kindness. She thought of Newt whose kindness backfired on him, but somehow worked for her. It bothered her still. She said thank you, and continued to work.

“You’re married to Newton, correct?” Buteo asked at the end of the day. Tina looked up from her work.

“Yes.”

“They’re a very interesting family. Theseus, his brother you know, is a hell of an asset to the Ministry.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“But Newton’s got his own talents. Have you ever seen them together? I’m sure you have. Theseus was probably best man at the wedding, am I right? Now that's an odd pair. Theseus can be a little weird in his own way too. It's the Scamander name.”

Tina smiled at the comment. Usually the 'weird' label was attached to Newt.

When she arrived home, Newt was sitting on the windowsill of their fire escape with a letter in his hands. An owl stood by the front windowsill – the one that faced Muggle streets. It twisted its head to look at Tina before shaking its feathers and flying off.

“I’m home....” Coat and boots off. “Everything all right?” she asked, approaching Newt. She saw it was a letter from Theseus. Her hairs prickled nervously.

Newt turned and pocketed the letter. “Yes. Theseus has gone off to Zurich. He predicts Grindelwald would be there. He’s determined to find him this time.”

 _He’s not in London_. Tina released her held breath. “Ambitious.”

“He’s always been that way. He works very hard to get to where he is.” Newt’s arms curled around Tina’s waist, pulling her toward him. She instinctively began to stroke the back of his neck.

“He also told me what you said last night,” Newt said.

Tina groaned. “I was hoping he wouldn’t say anything. Was he angry?”

Newt smiled. “He was a _little_ cross.”

Tina covered her face with her hands, feeling the heat from her cheeks radiate splendidly. “I’m so sorry Newt. It wasn't one of my best decisions.”

Newt stood and peeled her hands away from her face. As she looked up, she saw that Newt wasn’t at all annoyed.

“ _I’m_ not cross,” he said, giving a quick kiss to the side of her nose.

“Oh... thank goodness.”

“He did say that I’m incredibly lucky to have such a defensive wife.”

“Why is everyone saying that?”

“Sorry?”

“That you’re lucky. Like somehow you had no decision in whom to marry. Or I had no say in whom I wanted as my husband. Luck has nothing to do with it…. Why are you looking at me like that?”

Newt was looking at her in that peculiar way where his eyes drift to different parts of her face - her mouth, her hair and her eyes.

“I was thinking… regardless of our luck,” he said. “I’m very pleased that we are married.”

Tina smiled but her eyes softened into slight concern. “Are you happy here? Do you think we should be back having adventures in Arabia?”

“We are not retired, Tina. We have many years ahead of us.” His head turned to the side, as if trying to figure out his next statement. He sat back onto the windowsill. “I’m sensing that _you_ might be bothered living in England.”

“Of course not…” Tina thought about it further as she crawled through the window to sit beside him. She thought of her dreams. “… It’s been a rough start. I don’t like that people don’t think of you as highly as I do.”

“I can risk my reputation if it means that those I care for are protected.”

“I just don’t know how you can put up with it,” she commented. Newt smiled and looked away. “What was your meeting this morning?”

“I wanted to discuss what our possibilities were.”

“For the war? You’re not going to send your creatures in, are you?”

“No, but we must come to a mutual agreement.” Newt carefully began. “If we are discussing luck, I did not choose to have Theseus as my brother. But he is my brother. We care for each other and our mother. Just because we are not compatible, does not mean we cannot work together.”

Tina’s felt a small pang of regret for yelling at Theseus. “He still deserved a slap to the face for last night.”

Newt laughed. “True. It must be frustrating for him to see his little brother caring for creatures instead. He didn’t connect with my mother’s Hippogriffs the same way I did.”

Tina’s mind wandered once again to Queenie. The ocean separated the sisters, and she pined for Queenie’s company nearly every day. Tina and Queenie shared nearly the same ideologies even though their personalities contrasted. Still, she saw the love in Newt’s eyes – despite their differences, he and Theseus were bonded by the strange brotherly compassion for each other.

She imagined a young Newt, in awe of the world around him – finding joy in any living thing, and Theseus, only slight older, yet somehow aged 10 years ahead in his behaviour, taking on the duty of Older Brother. Older Brother who had to be protective of the family. Older brother who had to be protective of the country.

“I do hope you come to like Theseus.”

She decided that she did, even if he was a bit of a… What was that word? A blighter?

“I’ll think about it,” Tina said coyly and without maliciousness. She admitted: “I miss travelling a little but we really are at the beginning of something different.”

“About that. I have something to show you.” Newt said and he took her hand.

She felt his wedding ring against her fingers.

They carefully walked down the iron stairs, down the fire escape ladder. She looked at her feet – she was barefoot like the previous night, but she noticed that he was not wearing shoes either. They walked past the pens – past the Bowtruckles’ tree, past the pesky Niffler’s hole and into a canvas tent. For a split second, Tina thought he was leading her into a new workspace or animal arena. He pulled the flaps aside and brought them both in.

She stumbled into a new landscape. When she looked up, above the tall trees was Yosemite’s Half-Dome greeting her. Her feet crunched into the fresh snow, yet she did not feel cold at all. She breathed and saw the mist, but she did not need a coat. She turned to look at Newt in shock.

He clapped his hand once.

Her surroundings swirled like a kaleidoscope and suddenly she was submerged waist deep in clear waters. She was now on a beach and she recognised it as Curaçao. Like a photograph of their time spent there when he went searching for the storytelling spider-creature.

“It’s a little tricky. You can’t walk very far. I don’t think the magic could sustain itself very well.”

He clapped again and the universe swirled until she was in a Moroccan desert – the night sky shining above her. Orion’s Belt – the most obvious constellation she could find, twinkled brightly. Her toes traced patterns in the sand.

These were all memories of their travels.

“Is there anywhere you want to go?” Newt asked from behind her.

With a grin, Tina closed her eyes and clapped.

…

* * *

…

There is a Muggle photograph pinned above Newt and Tina Scamander’s bed in their rented flat in Hammersmith, London. In due time, the photograph of this fellow named Newt Scamander will find a partner – another black and white photograph of a woman, Tina Scamander. She stands at a window watching into a strange unreal animal arena, with her head turned towards the camera in surprise. It’s a slightly dark image, and a little out of focus for the photographer is not skilled and had taken the picture with a higher aperture. The real Tina would protest that she should not be pinned to the wall – she’s photo-shy. The real Newt will ignore her request and say that they deserve to be a pair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to have Theseus be a character that was likable but with disagreeable characteristics and principles. I agonised a little too much on this.

**Author's Note:**

> There’s a bit of Wodehouse influence in Theseus’ dialogue.


End file.
